In a nation scarred by years of civil war, the rapid collapse of Bashar al-Assad's regime in December 2024 marked a pivotal turning point. The Islamist terrorist group, HTS - once linked to Al-Qaeda - led a swift eleven-day offensive that toppled the government seizing key cities, including Damascus.
However, this power shift unleashed a wave of sectarian violence with reports indicating that over 1,000 people have been killed in recent clashes, predominantly from the Alawite minority. Christian communities, too, face heightened threats under the new liberated Syria, with incidents of violence and kidnapping causing widespread fear.
As HTS consolidates its control, the nation teeters on the brink with international observers expressing deep concern over the escalating humanitarian crisis and the uncertain future of Syria. Independent journalist Collin Mayfield was in Lebanon with Hezbollah when he learned of the Assad regime's collapse. Collin grabbed his gear and crossed into Syria just as HTS seized control.
Mr. Mayfield witnessed and recorded Syria during these initial chaotic days. He visited the Damascus Public Hospital and saw corpses with evidence of severe torture, presumably recovered from Sednaya Prison. He encountered survivors from Sednaya Prison at the Ibn Sina Psychiatric Hospital who were severely traumatized. And of course, he visited Sednaya Prison, notoriously known as the “human slaughterhouse,” where he encountered evidence of extensive torture, extreme abuse, and female birth control pills. Collin even documented the Far’ Falastin Prison, notorious for sexual violence against women.
Collin, thank you for taking the time to share your far-ranging Syrian experience, from Captagon drug factories to encounters with ISIS and HTS Militia at Assad's Presidential Palace. This interview is truly historic. Be sure to watch the video version on YouTube to see Collin's brutally stunning photographs.
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